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The  Old  and  the  New. 
Telegraph   Line  on  the  Great  Wall  of  China. 


THE  PRINCETON  WORK  IX  PEKING 

FOUR  YEARS  OF   WORK   FOR   YOUNG 
MEN  IN  PEKING 

1906-1910 


The  young'  men  of  China  are  commanding  the  at- 
tention of  statesmen,  merchants,  educators  and  philan- 
thropists. Through  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion (The  Princeton  Work  in  Peking)  Princeton  men 
have  both  a  great  opportunity  and  a  well-tested  medium 
whereby  all  who  are  interested  may  unite  in  the  develop- 
ment and  conservation  of  a  mighty  nation's  greatest  re- 
source— strong  young  men.  Peking  is  the  capital  of  the 
largest  nation  in  the  world,  and,  although  not  one  of  t)ie 
very  greatest  cities  in  point  of  population,  it  can  truly 
be  said  to  be  one  of  the  few  most  important  cities  in  the 
whole  world.  The  capital  of  China  will  figure  largely  in 
the  world  movements  of  the  future,  and  the  young  men 
who  inevitably  gather  in  such  a  city  constitute  therefore 
a  most  important  field  of  work. 

Representatives  of  the  Chinese  Christian  Movement 
appealed  to  the  International  Committee  of  Young  Men's 
Christian  Associations  in  North  America  eighteen  years 
ago  for  men  to  launch  Association  work  in  Peking,  but 
it  was  not  possible  to  respond  to  this  call  until  1905  when 
the  first  active  move  was  made.  In  May,  1905,  the  Hon. 
John  Wanamaker,  of  Philadelphia,  ofTered  over  $30,000 
to  erect  a  building  for  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion in  Peking,  provided  a  suitable  lot  should  he  secured 
by  contributions  raised  on  the  field.  After  much  careful 
investigation  a  piece  of  property,  about  170  feet  by  200 
feet,  on  the  corner  of  Hatamen  street  and  Gold  Fish  lane, 
was  purchased  at  a  total  cost  of  about  $10,000.  Of  this 
amount  $3,800  was  given  by  Princeton  for  that  part  of 
the  lot  on  which  secretarial  residences  are  to  be  erected, 
and  $6,200  was  raised  from  Peking  sources  for  the  por- 
tion of  the  lot  to  be  occupied  by  the  Association  building. 


The  newly  purchased  premises  were  occupied  about 
September  i,  1907,  and  the  old  buildings  on  the  property 
were  speedily  put  into  the  best  possible  shape  for  living 
quarters  and  for  beginning  work.  A  portable  barrack- 
house  was  secured  to  serve  the  purpose  of  classrooms 
and  lecture  hall  and  other  rooms  were  fixed  up  for  office 
work,  a  social  meeting-place  and  staff  quarters.  As  soon 
as  the  necessary  furniture  and  limited  reading-room  sup- 
plies were  in  order,  the  sign,  "Chinese  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association",  in  English  and  in  Chinese,  was 
put  up  at  the  front  gate  on  the  main  street.  The  opening- 
religious  service  on  Sunday,  October  27,  1907,  was  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Arthur  Rugh,  National  Student  Secretary 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  China,  and  representative  Christian 
leaders  of  Peking  were  present. 

An  important  feature  of  this  enterprise  for  the  young- 
men  in  Peking  is  the  part  Princeton  University  is  taking 
in  it.  As  an  expression  of  voluntary  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  China  at  this  stage  of  her  development,  the  students, 
faculty  and  alumni  of  Princeton  are  giving  substantial 
help  in  establishing  and  promoting  this  special  work  for 
the  young  men  of  the  capital.  It  has  been  arranged 
that  Princeton  University  will  secure  from  her  own  grad- 
uates the  foreign  staff  of  the  Peking  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  assume  responsibility  for  their  necessary 
expenses,  and  aid  in  every  way  possible  the  promotion 
of  the  work.  By  the  end  of  1909  there  were  five  Prince- 
ton men  on  the  field.  Mr.  Robert  R.  Gailey  '97,  who,  as 
the  special  representative  of  Princeton  in  China  since 
1897,  was  located  in  Tientsin,  is  now  at  the  head  of  "The 
Princeton  Work  in  Peking".  Mr.  Dwight  W.  Edwards 
'04  arrived  in  Peking  November  30,  1906.  Having 
given  a  large  part  of  his  first  two  years  to  language  study 
he  is  now  doing  full  schedule  work.  Mr.  J.  Stewart  Bur- 
gess '05  is  the  latest  arrival  from  Princeton  to  join  the 
permanent  Peking  forces.  His  first  six  months  of  lan- 
guage work  are  being  spent  at  Tungchow.     Mr.  L.  D. 


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<1> 


Froelick  '06,  who  gave  the  two  years,  1908- 1909,  to  the 
Legation  Guards'  Branch,  has  left  the  regular  service  of 
the  Association,  and  is  doing  effective  work  in  the  Peking 
College  of  Languages,  assisting  voluntarily,  however,  in 
the  Association  Night  School.  Mr.  J.  Wheaton  Chambers 
'09  arrived  in  Peking  December  6,  1909,  to  succeed  Mr. 
Froelick  in  the  work  for  the  soldiers  and  marines  of 
the  Legation  Guards.  Mrs.  Gailey  and  two  children, 
together  with  IMrs.  Burgess,  complete  the  roster  of  the 
Princeton  Colony.  We  have  also  had  the  efficient  help  of 
two  Chinese  secretaries  to  whom  great  credit  is  due  for 
their  very  faithful  services. 

The  plans  for  the  Nezv  Association  Building  are  in 
the  architect's  hands,  and  it  is  hoped  the  building  will  be 
under  way  within  a  year.  A  reading-room,  rooms  for 
Bible  classes,  religious  meetings  and  social  gatherings, 
baths  and  lockers,  and,  eventually,  a  gymnasium  are  the 
main  features  to  be  included.  In  the  near  future  two 
comfortable  Residences  for  the  secretaries  will  be  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $5,000  apiece,  thus  safe-guarding  the  health 
and  increasing  the  efficiency  of  our  workers. 


Princeton  would  belie  her  own  best  traditions  if  she 
supported  any  work  of  this  sort  that  did  not  ha\'e  a  strong 
religious  basis  or  that  did  not  put  forth  a  direct  and 
vital  religious  effort.  While  using  all  worthy  means, 
the  nature  and  pur]wse  of  this  work  are  avowedly  and 
strongly  Christian,  for  we  believe  thaj;  the  Christian  re- 
ligion alone  contains  the  solution  of  the  individual  and 
social  pro])lems  of  China. 

Our  constituency  is  made  up  of  three  classes  of 
young  men — the  Students  in  the  Christian  schools  and 
government  institutions  of  Peking,  thousands  in  number, 
the  Young  Men  of  Peking  City,  and  the  foreigners  of  the 
Legation  Guards,  numbering  about  1,400  men. 


What  has  already  been  done  by  our  men  cannot 
be  shown  by  any  striking  statistical  tables,  but  is  of  far- 
reaching  significance  for  all  that.  For  the  Students 
in  the  Christian  Institutions  our  men  have  organized 
an  Inter-Collegiate  Christian  Movement  similar  to  that 
of  our  own  land,  and  have  held  three  summer  con- 
ferences on  lines  similar  to  the  Northfield  Student  Con- 
ference. The  1909  conference  was  attended  by  145  stu- 
dents, teachers  and  pastors  from  sixteen  schools,  seven 
denominations  and  four  provinces,  and  the  1910  con- 
ference was  expected  to  be  still  larger  and  more  rep- 
resentative. These  conferences,  together  with  Bible  in- 
stitutes and  training  classes,  have  had  a  mighty  influence, 
just  as  their  prototypes  have  had  in  this  country.  Out 
of  this  work  among  Christian  students  has  developed  a 
most  remarkable  phenomenon,  a  Chinese  Student  Volun- 
teer Movement.  Under  the  leadership  of  an  able  Chinese 
Christian  pastor,  scores  of  Chinese  students  are  dedi- 
cating their  lives  to  the  Christian  ministry  among  their 
own  people.  In  the  district  of  which  Peking  is  the  center, 
Edwards  has  rendered  special  service  in  guiding  and  de- 
veloping this  movement,  thus  carrying  out  the  aim  which 
all  missionaries  now  cherish,  of  getting  the  Chinese  to 
do  their  own  evangelizing  work.  It  seems  especially 
appropriate  that  Princeton,  the  chief  inspirer  and  inaug- 
urator  of  the  Student  Movement  of  the  United  States, 
through  Wishard  'yy  and  his  friends,  as  well  as  of  the 
Student  Volunteer  Movement  of  our  own  land,  through 
Forman  '84  and  Wilder  '86.  should  also  lead  in  an  iden- 
tical work  for  China  through  Gailey  '97  and  Edwards  '04. 
The  old  spirit  still  lives  and  works. 


0\    w 


3  ^ 


For  the  Students  in  the  Govevninent  Schools  more 
and  more  is  being  done  in  a  direct  way,  but  the  chief 
avenue  of  approach  to  this  great  field  has  been  in  securing 
Christian  American  teachers  for  regular  positions  in  these 
schools.  On  account  of  the  exceptional  hold  our  men 
have  on  the  confidence  of  the  Chinese  officials,  Princeton 
is  doing  much  to  solve  this  crucial  problem  aright.  For 
the  new  Peking  Preparatory  School,  which  is  training 
Chinese  students  to  enter  American  colleges,  all  the 
teachers  have  been  secured  through  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  chiefly  through  our  Peking  rep- 
resentatives. The  bearing  of  this  on  future  influence  and 
work  is  clear.  Another  line  of  work  may  be  illustrated 
by  one  fact.  A  lecture  on  religion  by  Professor  Rodger, 
who  was  visiting  Peking,  brought  out  an  audience  of 
about  800  students  who  listened  to  his  presentation  of 
Christianity  with  eager  attention.  For  the  Young  Men 
of  Peking  City  our  men  have  conducted  night  classes  in 
English.  Bible  classes,  religious  meetings  and  socials,  and 
are  striving  to  do  for  them  what  any  strong  city  Asso- 
ciation ought  to  do.  The  average  enrolment  in  the  night 
classes  for  the  past  two  years  has  been  about  seventy-five, 
the  attendance  at  the  general  lectures,  which  are  given 
once  a  month,  sevent}^ ;  at  the  Sunday  religious  meetings, 
sixty,  and  at  the  occasional  social  gatherings,  twenty- 
eight.  Four  Bible  classes  have  had  an  enrolment  of  sev- 
enty-two, and  the  total  attendance  at  the  rooms  during 
1909  for  all  meetings  of  any  nature  was  16,320.  This 
work  is  now  organized  under  Chinese  officers  and  direc- 
tors, but,  of  course,  under  the  careful  guidance  of  the 
foreign  secretaries. 


2 


« 


For  the  Legation  Guards  much  effective  work 
has  been  done ;  first  under  FroeHck's  able  lead- 
ership, and  now  under  Chambers.  The  facts  concerning 
this  branch  of  the  work  have  been  fully  noted  in  previous 
bulletins.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  nothing-  has  done  more 
to  bring  our  whole  work  to  the  favorable  attention  of 
the  foreign  legations  and  the  foreign  residents  generally. 
The  preventative  work,  through  classes,  entertainments, 
lectures  and  club  privileges,  has  kept  many  a  soldier 
straight,  and  has  led  the  way  to  a  strong  religious  work 
which  has  now  been  carried  right  into  the  barracks 
of  the  men  with  the  full  consent  and  approval  of 
their  officers. 

It  is  not  strange  that  such  a  work  as  this  should 
have  caught  the  imagination  of  Princeton  men.  Many 
are  backing  it  up  loyally  and  generously,  but  we  need 
more  help  to  keep  our  $7,000  annual  budget  going  and 
to  meet  special  needs. 

Needs — $4,000  more  is  needed  to  complete  the 
$10,000  Residence  Fund,  and  subscriptions  to  the  current 
budget  are  always  welcome.  This  fall  the  undergrad- 
uates have  already  raised  $1,000,  their  prescribed  share, 
to  be  applied  to  next  year's  budget.  Kindly  make  cheques 
payable  to  Robert  Garrett^  Treasurer,  and  send  all 
remittances  to 

Lucius  Hopkins  Miller,  Chairman, 
no  Bayard  Lane, 

Princeton,  New  Jersey. 

Attention  is  called  to  the  bequest  form  on  the  next  page. 


PRINCETON      WORK      IN      PEKING 

Bequest  Form 

I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  International  Committee 
of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  a  corporation 
organized  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York,  the 
sum  of  dollars,  in  trust 

nevertheless,  to  invest  and  reinvest  the  same  in  such  se- 
curities as  are  or  from  time  to  time  may  be  legal  invest- 
ments for  trustees  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  or  in  first  mortgage  bonds  of  railroad  companies 
which  have  paid  their  interest  without  default  for  the 
preceding  ten  years,  to  apply  the  income  from  the  said 
fund  from  time  to  time  as  the  same  accrues  for  the  use 
and  benefit  of  the  Young  Alen's  Christian  Association 
in  the  City  of  Peking,  China,  as  conducted  through  the 
co-operation  of  the  Princeton  Committee;  should  the 
Princeton  Committee  at  any  time  cease  to  carry  on  such 
work  in  Peking,  the  said  International  Committee  shall 
continue  to  apply  the  income  of  the  fund  to  promote 
religious  work  among  young  men  of  Peking,  and  in  case 
the  work  in  Peking  shall  at  any  time  be  discontinued, 
the  income  from  the  fund  shall  be  applied  to  promoting 
the  religious,  social,  and  intellectual  well-being  of  young 
men  in  China. 


Pastor  Ting  of  Shantung.  Through 
Whose  Work  350  Students  in  North 
China  Have  Offered  Themselves  for  the 
Christian   Ministry. 


